Jan. 18, 2026, 2:41 p.m. CT

Pinpointing the Minnesota Vikings‘ best game of the 2025 season is tough. They went 9-8, but they started the season 4-8, and four of their final five victories came after they were eliminated from playoff contention.

So I stayed away from the final five wins. I also took away the most lopsided victory of the year, a 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, because Joe Burrow was injured. The Week 5 victory over the Cleveland Browns in London was a struggle, and not in a good way.

That leaves the Week 1 comeback against the Chicago Bears and the Week 9 win over the Detroit Lions. As fun as the victory over the Bears was, the expectation going in was that the Vikings would win that one.

So I chose the win over the Lions in Detroit. Minnesota had lost to the Lions five straight times dating back to 2022. A season sweep was the difference between the Vikings holding homefield advantage in the 2024 playoffs and going on the road as the No. 5 seed.

The win was also J.J. McCarthy’s first game in seven weeks. He provided several clutch plays that lifted Minnesota to the 27-24 victory and got the team back to 4-4 on the season. Little did we know that the Vikings would lose their next four games, but, for one week, it felt like the team recaptured the magic of the 2024 season.

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McCarthy provided a modest stat line, completing 14-of-25 passes for 143 yards. But he tossed two touchdowns and added another with his legs. His touchdown run came on 3rd-and-goal, and his 16-yard connection on third-and-5 to Jalen Nailor sealed the game with 1:41 remaining.

The defense was physical

Minnesota’s defense brought the fight to the Lions. After giving up a six-play, 72-yard scoring drive to open the game, the Vikings’ defense settled in. Brian Flores drew up blitzes with Eric Wilson that overwhelmed Jared Goff. The Lions’ quarterback was sacked five times, and the offense only gained 305 total yards.

Special teams came up in a critical spot

The Vikings’ special teams were inconsistent in 2025, but they did provide a game-changing moment in this victory. Lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt with 6:29 remaining in the game, and Isaiah Rodgers picked the ball up and sprinted 41 yards to put Minnesota in field goal range. Will Reichard knocked in a 20-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 27-24 lead with 3:31 left in the game.